By Avellon Williams
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – Guyana 🇬🇾 on Wednesday criticised American Airlines for ignoring its requests after two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) prime ministers became the latest high-level officials to fall victim to the airline’s policies.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the airline refused to allow Dr Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹, and Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines 🇻🇨, who attended the 2023 International Energy Conference and Expo, to check in through the VIP Lounge.
In spite of the fact that the ministry was not taking any responsibility for the undignified treatment of the Caribbean leaders, it said the carrier had been requested formally to accord the necessary treatment to the two leaders but to no avail, based on previous similar experiences with American Airline.
“All government protocols were in place to facilitate their departure. Despite American Airlines having been written to, prior to the arrival of the prime ministers in Guyana, for them to be accorded the courtesies of check-in on departure from the VIP Lounge, the airline refused to acquiesce to the ministry’s request and insisted that the prime ministers leave the lounge to present themselves to the check-in counter,” the Foreign Ministry said.
All government protocols were in place to facilitate their departure. Despite American Airlines having been written to, prior to the arrival of the prime ministers in Guyana, for them to be accorded the courtesies of check-in on departure from the VIP Lounge, the airline refused to acquiesce to the ministry’s request and insisted that the prime ministers leave the lounge to present themselves to the check-in counter,” the Foreign Ministry said.
In its Foreign Ministry statement, the Guyana government expressed its displeasure with this latest action by the airline, which caused embarrassment not only locally, but also regionally.
The airline said it “sincerely regrets the inconvenience” caused to the two visiting prime ministers, who were travelling to Miami, en route to the Bahamas for the 44th Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit that gets underway in Nassau later on Wednesday evening.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Guyana government had previously protested this position taken by American Airlines against its own senior government officials but had not been successful.
“They have continued to pay scant regard to the Government’s requests for entitlements to the positions held to be respected,” the ministry concluded.
Guyana Foreign Ministry
